CFTC Launches Crypto Sprint to Enable Spot Trading on Futures Exchanges

Key Points:

• The initiative aims to allow spot crypto trading under existing federal market structures.
• Stakeholders are invited to submit public feedback until August 18 on proposed regulations.
• The move aligns with the SEC’s Project Crypto and the Commodity Exchange Act.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has launched a regulatory initiative to allow spot crypto trading on futures exchanges. This marks the first implementation step following recommendations from the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets.

Acting Chairman Caroline Pham confirmed the effort will use existing authority under the Commodity Exchange Act. The goal is to regulate retail trading of digital commodities with margin or leverage through designated contract markets (DCMs).

The CFTC is working in coordination with the SEC’s Project Crypto to unify the regulatory approach. Under this framework, platforms like CME could list spot trading pairs for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other tokens.

Public input will shape the initiative, with stakeholders encouraged to comment on Part 40 and Section 2(c)(2)(D) rules. Comments must address how spot contracts align with federal guidelines without conflicting with securities regulations.

Submissions are open until August 18 and will be made publicly available on the official CFTC website.

Industry Feedback Will Shape the Future of U.S. Crypto Regulation

The CFTC initiative seeks to clarify how digital assets can trade under federal supervision without reclassifying them as securities. The effort aims to simplify compliance for exchanges offering spot markets alongside futures products.

This also sets the stage for unified oversight of crypto markets under a single regulatory roof. Chairman Pham emphasised that the plan follows proposals she began advocating in 2022 for spot asset supervision.

The initiative will help define how non-security digital tokens fit into existing commodities frameworks. It also signals a larger regulatory shift to bring digital asset trading into mainstream financial compliance.

The agency has invited written comments from exchanges, developers, investors, and legal experts. Feedback will inform how the CFTC refines requirements for listing digital spot contracts on regulated exchanges.

This consultation process may shape future laws governing how crypto assets are bought and sold across the U.S.

As the regulatory news unfolds, Bitcoin trades at $115,180.46, up 0.78% in the past 24 hours. BTC’s market cap is now $2.29 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.